Medical emergency patient repatriated urgently

TDT Manama

A 23-year-old patient who was in a precarious medical condition was flown home yesterday to get medical assistance and treatment in his native country India, as advised by his doctor. Subhas Mandal, the patient, was diagnosed with a rare condition that left his hands and legs too weak to move fully. In such extraordinary cases, airlines allow passengers to travel on a stretcher.

And that is exactly how Mandal travelled onboard a repatriation flight to India that left Bahrain yesterday with 144 other passengers and an infant. Last October, he was admitted at the Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) when he went in complaining of weakness in all four of his limbs.

He was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) that affects the body’s immune system. Since his condition was so rare and was worsening, SMC neurologist Dr Isa Abdulla advised him to travel back to India for urgent medical assistance and rehabilitation as soon as possible.

Mandal had arrived in Bahrain only four months before the tragic turn of events. Being so young, he is the sole breadwinner for his family back home in India. A resident of the Indian city of Kolkata, in the state of West Bengal, Mandal travelled from Bahrain to the Indian city of Bhubaneswar, under the Indian government’s “Vande Bharat” repatriation mission.

Arrangements have been made for him to travel onwards to Kolkata, after following all the medical clearance protocols to ensure that he is not COVID-19 positive. In an effort taken under special consideration by the Indian Embassy, World Non-Resident Indian Council, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health, he managed to go back home safely